Fig. 2

Immunohistochemistry of nerves in an area between the bladder and seminal vesicle (anterosuperior group of the pelvic plexus branches). Topographical nerve anatomy is shown in Fig. 1c. Panels a, c, e, g, and i exhibit nNOS immunostaining, while panels b, d, f, and i display TH immunostaining. Panels a and b (or i and j) are adjacent sections, whereas panels c and d (or e and f, g and h) are proximal sections. These nerves did not contain fibers that were reactive for VIP (not shown). In all of these nerves, nNOS- and TH-positive fibers appear to be intermingled, without clear localization. However, in panels a and b, triple-negative areas (putative myelinated sensory fiber-dominant areas; stars) are visible. Panels g and h display nerves in the bladder detrusor, while panels i and j show nerves attaching to the seminal vesicle. Nerves along the seminal vesicle are characterized by an abundance of TH-positive fibers. In contrast, bladder detrusor nerves contain an abundance of triple-negative fibers (putative sensory fibers). All panels were prepared at the same magnification (scale bar in panel f, 0.1 mm)